Service-animal laws are getting tighter, with another state adding oversight

by Michael OlloveMay 12

Add Minnesota to the growing list of states that will no longer tolerate pet owners trying to pass off their furry or feathered friends as service animals when they have never received such training.

Gov. Mark Dayton, a Democrat, has signed a bill into law that would subject violators to $100 fines for misrepresenting their pets as fully trained service animals. Senators voted unanimously for the measure, and only one representative in the Minnesota House voted against.

More than 20 states have tightened the leash on fake service dogs by enacting similar laws to discourage pet owners from bringing untrained animals into stores, restaurants, libraries and other public places where their behavior can be bothersome.

Service dogs have long helped the blind navigate their lives. More recently, many people with other disabilities or health conditions have found them useful.

Service animals, which are usually dogs, undergo rigorous training that can last up to two years and cost tens of thousands of dollars. A well-trained dog doesn’t misbehave in the ways other dogs might — by jumping up on people, begging, running off or barking excessively.

But there is no central certification for dogs trained as service animals. Many people acquire official-looking vests and falsely pass their pets off as trained service animals so they can bring them anywhere. The Americans With Disabilities Act gives service animals access to public places.

Because there is no certification for those animals, however, merchants have no way of telling which animals are legitimate.

That lack of certification is also likely to limit the effectiveness of the new laws. Business owners and law enforcement will still not know whether the animal has received real training. But proponents of the law hope the measures will cause pet owners to think twice before trying to pass off their animals as legitimate service pets.